Open the Eyes of My Heart

Last updated

"Open the Eyes of My Heart" is a contemporary Christian song by Paul Baloche. The lyrics are based on Ephesians 1:18, a verse from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians. [1] The song was originally recorded by Sonicflood for their debut album Sonicflood in 1999. [2] The following year Paul Baloche released his own recording on his album Open the Eyes of My Heart. The song has also been recorded by Michael W. Smith for his album Worship , by Phillips, Craig, and Dean for their album Let My Words Be Few, and by Randy Travis on his album Worship & Faith .

Lyrics

The song is written in verse–chorus form and features very simple lyrics. The first verse consists of the lyrics "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord" (sung twice, the second time without "Lord") and "I want to see You" (sung twice verbatim). The chorus is the most lyrically rich part of the song. “To see you high and lifted up, shining in the light of your glory. Pour out your power and love as we sing holy holy holy”

The second verse serves as a conclusion. It consists of "Holy, holy, holy" repeated three times and "I want to see You" as the final line, with minor variants at times.

The lyrical structure varies among different covers of this song. For example, the song as made popular by Michael W. Smith features "11C11CCC22222222" as its structure, while the Randy Travis cover features "111C11C2211" as its structure.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle Hymn of the Republic</span> 1862 American song by Julia Ward Howe

The "Battle Hymn of the Republic", also known as the "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" or the "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" outside of the United States, is an American patriotic song that was written by abolitionist writer Julia Ward Howe during the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contemporary worship music</span> Modern genre of music sung in many churches

Contemporary worship music (CWM), also known as praise and worship music, is a defined genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship. It has developed over the past 60 years and is stylistically similar to pop music. The songs are frequently referred to as "praise songs" or "worship songs" and are typically led by a "worship band" or "praise team", with either a guitarist or pianist leading. It has become a common genre of music sung in many churches, particularly in charismatic or non-denominational Protestant churches with some Roman Catholic congregations incorporating it into the Mass as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reuben Morgan</span> Australian musician

Reuben Timothy Morgan is an Australian worship pastor at Hillsong Church and one of several worship leaders and songwriters in Hillsong Worship group. Prior to this he was a worship pastor at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. He has written songs such as "Eagles Wings", "Hear Our Praises", "I Give You My Heart", "My Redeemer Lives" and "Mighty to Save", which won the Worship Song of the Year at the 40th GMA Dove Awards. In 2005 his first solo worship album, World Through Your Eyes, debuted at No. 3 in the Australian Christian Charts.

Sonicflood is an American contemporary worship music band from Nashville, Tennessee, that has been touted as "The Fathers of the Modern Worship Movement." The group took the name "Sonicflood", a reference to a line in the Book of Revelation, chapter 19, verse 6.

"Here I Am to Worship" is a song written by Tim Hughes and was released as the title song of his debut album Here I Am to Worship. The song is a popular worship ballad. It is commonly sung at Christian churches, festivals and youth gatherings. The song was ranked No. 1 on the Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) two years in a row and was still ranked on their Top 25 Songs list in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Baloche</span> American Christian musician and worship leader

Paul Joseph Baloche is an American Christian music artist, worship leader, and singer-songwriter. A native of Maple Shade Township, New Jersey, Baloche was the worship pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas, for 26 years. He and his wife, Rita left Texas in January 2015, moving to New York City to be nearer to family. Baloche composes on piano and acoustic guitar, favoring guitar when leading worship. His wife, Rita Baloche, is also a Christian songwriter. Baloche is one of the writers for Compassionart, a charity founded by Martin Smith from Delirious?.

"El Shaddai" is a contemporary Christian music song. It was written by Michael Card and John Thompson, using direct quotes from scripture as their inspiration, and recorded by Card on his 1981 debut album, Legacy. However, the best known version of the song was by singer Amy Grant, whose rendition was recorded in 1982 on her platinum-certified album Age to Age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll See You in My Dreams (1924 song)</span> 1924 song by Gus Kahn and Isham Jones

"I'll See You in My Dreams" is a popular song and jazz standard, composed by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn, and published in 1924. It was recorded on December 4 that year, by Isham Jones conducting Ray Miller's Orchestra. Released on Brunswick Records, it charted for 16 weeks during 1925, spending seven weeks at number 1 in the United States. Other popular versions in 1925 were by Marion Harris; Paul Whiteman; Ford & Glenn; and Lewis James; with three of these four reaching the Top 10.

<i>WOW Worship: Blue</i> 1999 compilation album by Various artists

WOW Worship: Blue was the first album in the WOW Worship series of compilation albums. It reached #70 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1999, and #1 on the Top Contemporary Christian chart. In the following year it reached #144 on the Billboard 200, and #2 on the Top Contemporary Christian chart. The album was certified as double platinum in the United States in 2001 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In Canada the album was certified as platinum in 2002 by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).

<i>WOW Worship: Orange</i> 2000 compilation album by Various artists

WOW Worship: Orange is a compilation CD of Christian Music in the WOW Worship series. It reached No. 65 on the Billboard 200 chart. WOW Worship: Orange was certified as platinum in sales in 2001 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album was certified as gold in Canada in 2001 by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).

<i>WOW Worship: Red</i> 2004 compilation album by Various artists

WOW Worship: Red is the fifth installment in the WOW Worship series. It contains 34 praise and worship songs performed by top Christian artists. Twelve of the songs were newly recorded specifically for this release on Word Records. The album reached #62 on the Billboard 200 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing</span> 18th-century Christian hymn

"Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" is a Christian hymn written by the pastor and hymnodist Robert Robinson, who penned the words in the year 1758 at the age of 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Close to the Edge (song)</span> 1972 song by Yes

"Close to the Edge" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes, featured on their fifth studio album Close to the Edge (1972). The song is over 18 minutes in length and takes up the entire first side of the album. It consists of four movements.

<i>Glimpse: Live Recordings from Around the World</i> 2006 live album by Sonicflood

Glimpse: Live Recordings from Around the World is Sonicflood's sixth original album and second live album. It was released on October 31, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will the Circle Be Unbroken?</span> 1907 song by Ada R. Habershon and Charles H. Gabriel

"Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" is a popular Christian hymn written in 1907 by Ada R. Habershon with music by Charles H. Gabriel. The song is often recorded unattributed and, because of its age, has lapsed into the public domain. Most of the chorus appears in the later songs "Can the Circle Be Unbroken" and "Daddy Sang Bass".

<i>Worship & Faith</i> 2003 studio album by Randy Travis

Worship & Faith is the fifteenth studio album by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released on November 11, 2003 by Word Records. The album is composed of twenty covers of traditional gospel tunes. It was recorded live in concert at the Orlando Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida, in July 2003. Worship & Faith is certified gold by the RIAA, although its only single, "Above All", failed to chart.

"Heroes and Friends" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was written with Don Schlitz. It was released in January 1991 as the second and final single from his album of duets, Heroes & Friends and his only song on the album that was not a duet. The song opens and closes the album. "Heroes and Friends" peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and reached number 1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

<i>The Same Love</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Paul Baloche

The Same Love is the seventh studio album by the Christian Contemporary Christian music-worship musician Paul Baloche. The album, produced by Ben Gowell and Michael Rossback, was released on March 13, 2012, by Integrity Media. It reached No. 30 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart and gained critical acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circus Left Town</span> 1998 single by Eric Clapton

"Circus Left Town", also known as "Circus" is a ballad written by the British recording artist Eric Clapton. The rock musician wrote the song about the last night he spent with his then four-year-old son Conor. Although Clapton played and recorded the song for his 1992 million seller live album Unplugged, he decided to release the title six years later as a re-recording for both his 1998 effort Pilgrim and as a single release. However, Clapton played the song live for his 1992 Eric Clapton World Tour, before it came out on any recording formats.

"10,000 Reasons " is a song by the English worship singer-songwriter Matt Redman from his tenth album of the same name (2011). He wrote it with the Swedish singer Jonas Myrin. The track was subsequently included on a number of compilations, covered by other artists and included as congregational worship music in English or in translation around the world. In 2013, the song won two Grammy Awards for "Best Contemporary Christian Music Song" and "Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance". After the song's success and impact, Redman also published a book: 10,000 Reasons: Stories of Faith, Hope, and Thankfulness Inspired by the Worship Anthem.

References

  1. Baloche, Paul. "Story behind "Open the Eyes of my Heart"" . Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  2. "Sonicflood - Sonicflood | Releases | Discogs". Discogs . Retrieved June 10, 2024.